National Park Service Information about
all the national parks in the USA.USDA Forrest Service The Forest Service is a Federal
agency that manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.The Wilderness Information Network Wilderness
areas are generally larger than 5000 acres and have retained their primeval character. In
the US there are over 100 million acres of federal land designated Wilderness by
Congressional legislation.WWF United States The World
Wide Fund For Nature in the United States.

Facts About the United States

Background: Britain's American colonies broke with the mother
country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States
of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th
centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation
expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of
overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's
history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the
1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold
War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The
economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and
rapid advances in technology.Form of Government:
Federal republicCapital: Washington, D.C.Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Geography of the United States

Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Canada and MexicoGeographic coordinates: 38 00 N, 97 00 WArea:total: 9,629,091 sq km land: 9,158,960 sq km water: 470,131 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of ColumbiaArea - comparative: about one-half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the
size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
slightly larger than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western EuropeLand boundaries:total: 12,248 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US
Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of CubaCoastline: 19,924 kmClimate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska,
semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of
the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east;
rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii.Elevation extremes:lowest point: Death Valley -86 m highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 mNatural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite,
gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas,
timberLand use:arable land: 19% other: 81% (1998 est.)Irrigated land: 214,000 sq km (1998 est.)Natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific
Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the
Midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in
northern Alaska, a major impediment to development.Environment - current issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain
in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon
dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of
pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water resources in
much of the western part of the country require careful management;
desertification.Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous WastesGeography - note: world's third-largest country by size (after
Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley
is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the
continent.